Many bathrooms, both public and private, suffer from cleanliness problems due to inadequate cleaning of the bowl of a toilet in that bathroom. This is especially a problem in public facilities. Even though a cleaning program is enforced, heavy usage between cleanings can create problems.
Most bathroom toilet fixtures are cleaned using special cleansers which are best applied using a scrubbing action. However, this can be a time-consuming and labor-wasting operation. Often this operation is not adequately carried out, especially if the individual is pressed for time, as when a great number of toilets must be cleaned, in a hotel or the like.
Accordingly, the art has included systems which place cleaning fluids in the water used to flush a toilet. These cleaning fluids are dispensed into such water when the water is being stored in the water storage tank associated with the toilet.
While somewhat effective, these devices have several drawbacks which inhibit their full commercial acceptance. For example, many of the most effective cleaning materials are incompatible with the seals, washers and connecting elements used in the toilet flush mechanism, and have a deleterious effect on such elements if exposed to such elements on a long term basis. In the case of a cleaning solution dispensing system that simply places cleaning solution in the water being stored in the water storage tank, the seals, and other such elements of that system will be exposed to the cleaning solution almost on a continuous basis. The seals, gaskets and washers will deteriorate after a certain period of time thus vitiating the effect of the cleaning solution dispensing process.
Another drawback to many of these cleaning solution dispensing devices is the wastefulness thereof. The cleaning solution is dispensed on a continuous basis, and thus may be dispensed when it is not really needed, or is dispensed in amounts that are too great at one time and not sufficient at other times. The wastefulness of these devices also vitiates the advantages thereof. Generally, the over-dispensing occurs when the device is first installed, and the under-dispensing occurs when the supply of cleaning material associated with the device is nearly exhausted. This leads to early replacement of the devices, again undermining the commercial advantages thereof.
These devices also may prove to be wasteful because the cleaning solutions therein are constantly exposed to either the air or to the flush water and thus tend to evaporate or to dissolve between uses.
Therefore, there is a need for a toilet flush system which dispenses cleaning fluid into the flush water only when necessary, and only in amounts required to effect a desired cleaning while maintaining the cleaning fluid separate from the flush water at other times and storing such cleaning fluid in an effective manner.